MRFF grant success for Dr Alistair McLean
MISCH biostatistician Dr. Alistair McLean, is a Chief Investigator (CI) on a recently awarded MRFF Early to Mid-Career Researchers Grant 2024. The grant, totaling $988,003.41 will fund a ground-breaking project, Facilitating Access to Sleep Apnoea Screening and Treatment in Spinal Cord Injury (FASST-SCI).
The FASST-SCI study addresses a critical health issue: the high prevalence of untreated sleep apnoea among people living with spinal cord injury. Sleep apnoea, a condition characterised by disrupted breathing during sleep, is alarmingly common in this population, yet access to diagnosis and treatment remains limited. Left untreated, sleep apnoea can severely impact quality of life, leading to fatigue, cognitive issues, and other serious health complications.
Led by Dr Marnie Graco, the multidisciplinary research team will explore whether this new care model is feasible and acceptable. If successful, the project will pave the way for a larger clinical trial to test its effectiveness at scale, potentially transforming the management of sleep disorders in this vulnerable community.
The project team brings together a diverse and experienced group of researchers and clinicians, including;
- Dr Marnie Graco, University of Melbourne
- Dr John Bourke, University of Sydney
- Dr Emily Bray, Griffith University
- Associate Professor Ching Li Chai-Coetzer, Flinders University
- Associate Professor Claire Ellender, University of Queensland
- Dr Alistair McLean, University of Melbourne
- Dr Hailey Meaklim, University of Melbourne
- Dr Tianxin Pan, University of Melbourne
- Dr Leanne Rees, Murdoch Children's Research Institute
- Dr Nicole Sheers, University of Melbourne
- Dr Julie Tolson, Austin Health